-LRB- EW.com -RRB- -- Chris Meloni has booked his first post - `` SVU '' gig -- and it 's a bloody good one .

The former star of the Dick Wolf drama will join HBO 's `` True Blood '' in season 5 as `` ancient , powerful vampire who holds the fate of Bill and Eric in his hands . '' He will be a series regular .

Meloni 's role on Alan Ball 's drama marks a homecoming , of sorts : The actor previously played Chris Keller on the pay cabler 's gritty drama `` Oz '' from 1998 to 2003 .

Earlier this year , Meloni decided to step down from playing Detective Elliot Stabler on the long-running NBC drama .

See the full article at EW.com .

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Christopher Meloni will join HBO 's `` True Blood '' in season 5

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He will play an `` ancient , powerful vampire who holds the fate of Bill and Eric in his hands ''

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The actor previously played Chris Keller on the pay cabler 's gritty drama `` Oz ''